Vegetables Stacks with Mozzarella and Basil

Here’s a great addition to your side dish repertoire. It also makes an elegant yet easy first course. Add a leafy green salad and some crusty bread to sop up the sauce, and you’ve got a terrific light meal.

Notes

360 Kitchen Tip

Use only the freshest mozzarella you can find. Look for it in the dairy case or specialty cheese department of your supermarket or in specialty food markets. Feta cheese or goat cheese are delicious alternatives to the mozzarella.

Directions

Toss the zucchini with salt and pepper.

To build stacks place one piece of zucchini on a cutting board or cookie sheet and spread with a thin layer of pesto. Cover the pesto with a piece of the mozzarella, followed by a piece of roasted pepper, a piece of zucchini, another thin layer of pesto, and a piece of roasted pepper. Finish the stack with a piece of mozzarella. Repeat with remaining vegetables, pesto, and cheese. Secure each stack with a toothpick at opposite ends.

Pour the marinara sauce into the 11.5-inch 360 by Americraft skillet. Carefully arrange the stacks in the pan about an inch apart on top of the sauce.

Cover and cook over medium heat until steam just begins to escape from under the lid, about 5 minutes.

Spin the lid to engage the vapor seal then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook for 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the heat and let stand for 10 to 12 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the cheese is melted.

To serve remove the toothpicks and divide stacks among small plates. Spoon the sauce around each portion and garnish with a dollop of pesto. Serve.